How I Make My Pieces
I’m often asked how I make my pieces, from the original concept, through the physical make and then marketing the piece. Also I’m asked a lot how long pieces take to make. Let’s take it step by step.
Original Design
All my designs are original, I think about them, look at color, shapes and textures of the stones, pearls and crystals that I have in my stash. Earrings are different from bracelets and necklaces in their design conceptualization.
Earrings. These are usually driven by matching pairs of beads. Using natural stones makes this harder than people realize. All stones are different in size and color markings. Stones that come on one strand can be closely related, but it is not the norm. Artists that work with machine made glass beads have an easier time, as these by their very nature are identical as made in molds. I make my earrings with posts, as not many people do that, and there is a market. However, if you prefer wires, just pick that option at purchase.
Necklaces. Necklace design is driven by style and weight of the stones and also by how many I have on hand in my stash. Necklaces need their weight in certain areas to make the design hang correctly.
Bracelets. These bring their own challenges. Some bracelets are just “born”, in that they work first time to an optimum length of 7 3/4” to 8 1/4”. In the most part, it takes several restringing sessions to get them to work.
Gold, Silver, Copper or Brass. Another great question. There is a fashion for each metal finish and that goes in cycles. Gold and silver are the main players, followed by copper and then brass. I find that some colors play particularly well with certain finishes more than others.
Making It
Fake it till you make it! Lol!
There are many ways ways to make jewelry, stringing, wire-wrapping, a mixture of the two. But all share the same basic method.
I always lay out my design on a soft felt mat. The mat stops the beads from rolling or getting damaged. Then using my tools, beads, wires and my skillset assemble the design.
Backroom Admin Stuff
I wish it were all just playing with the beads. However, the beads and findings need to be sourced and purchased. All that takes time from setting up wholesale accounts, cash management and accurate record keeping. My inventory spreadsheet of beads is over 2,000 lines long. All beads are counted and priced.
Once a piece is made, it is photographed, usually several images. These images are then made web-worthy and background color matched to make them pop off the page. I want you to feel that you can reach into your screen and grab the item. Then I cost, price, label the piece and add to my books. Only then is it added to my website, with descriptions and carefully crafted SEO tags and alt texts. Google has to love your website!
How Long Do Pieces Take to Design & Make?
Every piece is different, some are fast, just an hour or so. Others take a few hours or even a few days. There is no “standard” time.